What was I supposed to do with 'trust no one '?

Could I trust Rachel? Amir? Elyse? Lucas?

Stupid question, I most definitely could not trust Lucas. That guy was as shady as they came, one minute he was as aggressive as a VISOR and the next he was calm and friendly.

I could have sworn that my heartbeat was as loud as the footsteps outside the door. Then, slowly, they faded away into nothing...

It was miraculous that Rachel got away considering how close the mystery person was. I didn't feel as daring though, so I waited in Room A42G for a couple minutes first to ensure that they had definitely gone. For some reason, it felt right to absorb my surroundings. You know, find some evidence or whatever. It felt quite cliche but I was also bored and kind of risking my life so I felt that I should have gotten a pass on that one.

Softly, I walked round what looked like my old school benches that we had when I was in the younger years. They were school benches! Science ones! Ingrained in the wood, remained the residue and burns of chemicals. And there was the evidence of scheming, right on the walls!

I hadn't noticed it before with Rachel as my attention was fully devoted to her but the walls were covered in soot and ash. Now that I came to think of it, this whole side of the compound kind of was. The grimy walls and floors, perhaps even the dodgy lighting was in purpose. This definitely needed some investigation but I had to be subtle. As Rachel said, trust no one.

Oh my, Rachel! I had completely forgotten about her injuries. They were clearly new and hadn't even remotely starting to heal. The welts were deep and the bruises were severe. I shuddered at the memory of her, permanently imprinted on my mind.

This all raised too many questions.

Who did this to Rachel?

How did they do it so quick?

Was it someone in the compound?!

Room A42G was just as confusing.

Why was a school room in a Resistance compound?

What happened to the fire?

What caused the fire?

My head was starting to spin with everything going on. Though one thing I could be sure of, this place was most definitely not as it would seem. I paused for a moment by the sooty fire door and listened for any footsteps. Satisfied, I opened the door a crack and peeked out.

The tunnel was dark but I was reasonably sure that the coast was clear. Tentatively, I leaned out of the doorway to get a full view. Thankfully, no one was there. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, I walked out and tiptoed back towards the busy part of the compound, just in case.

Slap, slap, slap.

Footsteps again, the sound of rubber soles slapping the concrete tunnel floor filled my ears and the paranoia was back in an instant. They were heading in my direction. Quickly, I crept into another room and shut the door with just a fraction of it open.

I didn't have time to investigate everything but this room was very alike to Room A42G. Another classroom, though this wasn't science, a dusty, old bookcase lay dormant in the corner. Scattered pages lay out a fine carpet in front. English then. Although, it was English from a completely different time period, before the school equipment was updated to tablets and electronic pens. The same scorch marks as in the science classroom licked at the walls and there were even holes in places. Iron mesh provided decoration to the other classroom next door. It was like a full school was located in the compound! Soot coated the floor and dingy furniture. It seemed as though centuries had passed since anyone was last in here.

Slap, slap, SLAP!

The footsteps were drawing even nearer. I pulled the door shut and heard a faint click. No! Careful not to make any additional noise, I pushed the door but it didn't budge. I pushed it harder and harder still until I felt myself wheezing but the door remained locked in place.

The footsteps were fading again but that was the least of my worries now. If anyone hadn't been down here in ages then who's to say that I would be found before I was reduced to a pile of bones! A bitter thought but at this point, it did seem realistic. I'd didn't know what was worse.

Anxiously, I peered through the largest hole in the wall. It seemed just enough for my slim shape so I endeavoured to squeeze through. Seriously regretting my gargantuan breakfast this morning, I fell through with one final heave and collapsed to the floor with an ungraceful thud.

I just had to hope to Terra that Footsteps hadn't heard it.

My heart was racing yet again as I searched around for anything to get me out of the classrooms. Down on my hands and knees, I scavenged the floor for anything I could use to pick the lock. The one good thing about ancient technology was that it was easy to hack.

I came up empty handed.

Crushed, I stood up, although a little too fast as my foot slipped on a rock and sent me right back down again. Very inelegantly, my forehead smacked the floor with quite a lot of force that sent me reeling for a minute.

Once I had regained my breath, I wiped my forehead but only for my hand to come back bright red. Frantically, I searched my head for any cuts but surprisingly there weren't any. Very strange... unless...

I inspected the floor once again and recognised a murky, brown stain on the carpet and a more crimson one on the edge of a table. This wasn't my blood.

I had to stifle a scream as my brain conjured a picture of Rachel to the forefront of my mind. I wanted so badly for her to be okay.

I needed answers now more than ever.

Determined, I picked up the rock and went over the door of the classroom I was in: Geography by the looks of the Terra globe on a ransacked desk. I tried the door for good luck and to no one's surprise it was locked. So, I brought the rock down. Again and again, with all my might until it finally split and my fingers could prise the deadbolt open.

The door swung open and I left the classroom, finally free. Yet, what I had discovered made me feel sick to my core. Darkness began to creep in at the edges of my blurry vision and I felt weak on my legs. Exhaustion filled me as the adrenaline deserted my body and betrayed me.

Vaguely, in the back of my mind, I heard the footsteps return, probably the product of my incessant banging.

More darkness, I longed for quiet; I longed for sleep. My head began to spin as Footsteps picked me up. He was gentle though...

Suddenly, I was floating...

I couldn't remember anything after that.